Sheet control device



July 26, 1966 w. E. ASCHENBRENNER 3,262,699

SHEET CONTROL DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 13, 1964 R O T N E V mJ y 1966 w. E. ASCHENBRENNER 3,

sasn'r CONTROL Davies 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 13, 1964 United StatesPatent 3,262,699 SHEET CONTROL DEVICE William E. Aschenbrenner,Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., assignor to Consolidated Papers, Inc., WisconsinRapids, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Aug. 13, 1964, Ser. No.389,262 8 Claims. (Cl. 271-45) The present invention relates to meansfor facilitating the forward movement of individual sheets cut from acontinuous web.

The invention is particularly concerned with improvements in apparatusfor cutting continuous webs of paper into sheets and moving themforwardly in a smooth continuous manner at high speeds, and whereinsheets are intermittently, by sampling means, caused to be diverted fromthe main path of movement to a secondary path.

In one specific embodiment the present invention relates to means foradjustably controlling the frictional engagement or pressure betweenopposed conveyor surfaces which initially receive and move forwardly anewly severed individual sheet, with the object of preventing the sheetfrom being drawn away from the cutting knife too quickly and to preventwhipping, which might crumple the trailing edges of the sheets, causethem to curl, or jam up, and otherwise prevent smooth continuousoperation.

In another specific embodiment the present invention relates to means,correlated to the aforesaid sampling means, for preventing tendency ofthe forwardly moving sheets to inadvertently move into the samplingpath, particularly when the sheets are somewhat curled due to havingbeen cut from near the end of the supply roll, with the object ofthereby facilitating smooth sheet passage in the desired direction andpermitting the cutting operation to be conducted at high uniform speed.

The foregoing objects and advantages, details of construction andarrangement of parts and the economies thereof will be apparent from aconsideration of the following specification and accompanying drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the apparatus of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG.1, with added details.

FIG. 3 is a relatively enlarged fragmentary detail view of adjustmentmeans for one of the rolls shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and

FIG. 4 is a section on the line 44 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral indicates a forwardlymoving paper web, drawn and moved forwardly from a supply roll 'byconventional means, not shown. In its forward passage, the web 10 isintermittently cut into sheets of predetermined length by means of theradial fly knife component 11 on the driven roll 12 meeting the fixed orbed-knife component 13 on the holder 14.

The resulting severed sheet 15 is then deposited on and moved forwardlyby the spaced series of conveyor belts or tapes 16 embracing rolls 17and 18, one of which is driven. The sheet 15 is thus carried forward bythe spaced conveyor tapes 19 which are intermeshed with tapes 16, thetapes 19 being driven in the direction as shown by the arrows andpassing in part around rolls 20, 21 and 22.

Disposed in juxtaposition to the upper run of tapes 19 is a separateseries of tapes 23 caused to move about the rolls 24 and 25 the,direction indicated, one of said rolls being driven. The tapes 23 and 19between them frictionally grip the sheet 15 and move it forwardly at aspeed generally greater than the speed of the web 10, and then pass thesheets over the sample gate 26 and between the conveyors 27 and 28.

3,262,699 Patented July 26, 1966 Intermittently, and as more fullydescribed and claimed in the co-pending application of William J.Haselow, Serial No. 89,383, filed February 15, 1961, now Patent Number3,180,190, the sampling gate 26 is caused to move to the dotted positionshown in FIG. 1, whereupon a sheet 15 is deflected downwardly onto tapes19 and to and between the tapes 19 and conveyor belt or tapes 29.

Although the sheets 15 normally pass above the gate 26 when it is tilteddownwardly as shown in the full line position of FIG. 1, when the sheetsbecome curled for some reason, and particularly when they are severedfrom near the end of the supply roll, there is a tendency for the sheetsto follow down and around roll 27 and under the adjacent edge of gate26. In order to prevent this, I provide air pressure by means of thepipe 30 disposed parallel to roll 27 having longitudinally spaced ventsadapted to blow air in the narrow space between roll 27 and the adjacentedge of gate 26, against the underside of a passing sheet 15. This tendsto prevent accidental and unwanted downward movement of sheets 15 andpermits increase in the speed of operation of approximately feet perminute, particularly due to the fact that the cutter does not have to beslowed up near the supply roll end.

Air is supplied by the air source line 31 controlled by shut-off valve32, and through filter 33, pressure control valve 34, and electricsolenoid valve 35 to air distribution pipe 30. The electric solenoidvalve 35 is so connected that when the gate 26 is opened, (i.e., tiltedupwardly to the dotted line position) the air supply is automaticallyshut off, and when the gate 26 is closed or tilted downwardly the airautomatically returns to the same pressure as before, which can be abouteighty pounds per square inch.

Control of frictional engagement of a cut sheet 15 as it passes betweenbelts 19 and 23 can be accomplished by adjusting the spacing of roll 25and its carrier straps 23 in relationship to the straps 19. For thispurpose the shaft 36 of roll 25 is journalled in flanged bearing 37which is releasably secured by means of bolts 38, extending through theslot 39 in the frame wall 40, to the sliding rack 41. Upon loosening ofbolts 38, and the tightening screw 43 by means of lever 44, the rack 41can be moved parallel to slot 39 and the spacing of roll 25 and itsstraps 23 adjusted as to distance from or pressure against belts 19. Forease of such adjustment a pinion 42 meshes with rack 41. The pinion 42is pivotally carried by the frame wall 40 by means of the screw 43, andis provided with a handle or lever 44. Adjustment is made bymanipulating the knurled flange 45 manually or the angular elongatedshank 45 by means of a wrench. Although adjustment means have been shownon one side of roll 25 it will be understood that similar adjustmentmeans are provided on the opposed side.

In this manner adjustment can be made as to the nip between roll 25 andits tapes with the tapes 19 to provide for different conditions ofoperation, speeds, sheet thickness. Raising of the roll 25 permits thesheet 15 to retain a natural position as distinguished from possiblewhipping as might be the case if pressure is too great when the roll 25is too low and the sheet 15 pulled away from the knives 11 and 13 tooquickly.

It will be noted from FIG. 3 that the slot 39 is inclined to thevertical as shown. However, the slot 39 is disposed normal to a planepassing through the axes of rolls 24 and 25. By reason of this thetension on the embracing tapes 23 remains substantially constant uponupward or downward adjustment of roll 25 in the manner aforesaid.

Although I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changesmay be made in the details thereof without departing from its scope ascomprehended by the following claims.

.I claim:

1. Apparatus for conveying sheets of material from a rotary cuttercomprising a first endless belt conveyor disposed about a plurality ofrollers, a second juxtaposed endlas belt conveyor disposed about a pairof rollers and means for moving one of said pair of rollers in adirection normal to a plane passing through the axes of said pairofrollers for adjustably controlling the proximity of said conveyorbelts.

2. Apparatus for conveying sheets of material from a rotary cuttercomprising a first endless belt conveyor disposed about a plurality ofrollers, a second juxtaposed endless belt conveyor disposed about a pairof rollers and inclined to said first conveyor and forming a niptherewith, and means for moving one of said pair of rollers in adirection normal to a plane passing through the axes of said pair ofrollers for adjustably controlling the bite of-said nip whereby a newlysevered individual sheet drawn away from the cutter is prevented frombeing drawn away too quickly and to prevent whipping thereof.

3. Apparatus for conveying sheets of material from a rotary cuttercomprising a first endless belt conveyor disposed about a plurality ofrollers, a second juxtaposed endless belt conveyor disposed about a pairof rollers and inclined to said first conveyor and forming a niptherewith, and means for adjusting the bite of said nip cmprising meansengaged with one of the rollers carrying said second conveyor foradjusting the proximity of said second conveyor in a direction normal toa plane passing through the axes of said pair of rollers, as it passesabout said one roller, with respect to said first conveyor belt.

4. Apparatus for conveying sheets of material from a rotary cuttercomprising a first endless belt conveyor dis posed about a plurality ofrollers, a second endless belt disposed about a pair of rollers andabove said first belt and inclined thereto in a forwardly direction, andmeans for adjusting the degree of inclination of said second belt to thefirst belt comprising rack and pinion means for moving the one of saidpair of rollers closest to said first conveyor in a direction normal toa plane passing through the axes of said pair of rollers.

5. Apparatus for conveying sheets of material from a rotary cuttercomprising a first endless belt conveyor disposed about -a plurality ofrollers, a second endless belt disposed about a pair of rollers andabove said first belt and inclined thereto in a forwardly direction, andmeans for adjusting the degree of inclination of said second belt to thefirst belt comprising means for moving the one of said pair of rollersclosest to said first conveyor in a direction normal to a plane passingthrough the axes of said pair of rollers.

6. Apparatus for conveying sheets of material from a rotary cuttercomprising a first endless belt conveyor composed of a plurality ofspaced straps disposed about a plurality of rollers and changingdirection about one of said rollers from a substantially horizontal to asubstantially downward inclined direction, means for preventing a sheetdisposed on the horizontal portion of said conveyor from following itsdownward inclination, a second conveyor belt disposed about a pair ofrollers and above and inclined to the horizontal portion of said firstconveyor and forming a nip therewith, and means for adjusting the biteof said nip and means for adjusting the degree of inclination of saidsecond belt to the first belt comprising means for moving the one ofsaid pair of rollers closest to said first conveyor in a directionnormal to a plane passing through the axes of said pair of rollers.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising means for preventing asheet disposed on the horizontal portion of said first conveyor fromfollowing its downward inclination.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 further including means for preventing asheet disposed on the horizontal portion of said conveyor from followingits downward inclination comprising air jet means disposed inwardly ofsaid conveyor and adjacent to said direction-changing roller fordirecting jets of air against the under surface of said sheet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,427,223 9/1947Moore 83-106 2,761,633 9/1956 Sindzinski.

2,819,079 1/ 1958 Beaulieu 271-76 2,863,663 12/1958 Richards 271-692,901,250 8/1959 Martin 271-76 X 3,180,190 4/1965 Haselow 83-88 M.HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner. J. N. ERLICH, Assistant Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING SHEETS OF MATERIAL FROM A ROTARY CUTTERCOMPRISING A FIRST ENDLESS BELT CONVEYOR DISPOSED ABOUT A PLURALITY OFROLLERS, A SECOND JUXTAPOSED ENDLESS BELT CONVEYOR DISPOSED ABOUT A PAIROF ROLLERS AND MEANS FOR MOVING ONE OF SAID PAIR OF ROLLERS IN ADIRECTION NORMAL TO A PLANE PASSING THROUGH THE AXES OF SAID PAIR OFROLLERS FOR ADJUSTABLY CONTROLLING THE PROXIMITY OF SAID CONVEYOR BELTS.